Calistoga’s Napa River Bridge demolition starts this week

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will begin demolishing the Napa River Bridge on State Route 29 (SR-29) in Calistoga the week of Sept. 7, agency officials announced.

The project demolishes and rebuilds the bridge to the latest seismic safety standards, they said.

During the daytime demolition of the bridge’s southern section, lasting approximately five to seven days, traffic lanes on the bridge will remain open in both directions.

Motorists are advised to travel with caution as traffic lanes will be slightly shifted, and pedestrians should also watch for temporary sidewalk and crosswalk configurations on and near the bridge, officials said.

The bridge will be demolished and rebuilt in stages over two construction seasons allowing the bridge to remain partially open during the work, they said. The bridge’s southern side will be demolished this month and rebuilt in six to eight months. The northern side will remain open through winter 2017 and will be demolished and rebuilt as early as next summer, they said.

Residents and businesses may temporarily experience increased construction noise, and Caltrans “thanks (them) for (their) patience while we work to maintain California’s highways and bridges.”